Motion picture claw feed apparatus



June 28, 1938. w. (SMITH ET AL 2,121,933

MOTION PICTURE CLAW'FEED APPARATUS Filed Oct. 19, 19 36 v with reference Patented June 28, 1938 'MOTION PICTURE CLAW smim'ana Jamesrcharles Hall; London,

and James Bernard Barton, Surrcy,.England Application October 19, 1936, Serial NoJ106A80 i In Great Britain October 21, 1935 f rear s. (CL-58:18.4)

Thepresent invention relates to improvements in cinematographic apparatus, more particularly of the type in: which a number of individual pictures are viewed inkinematograph sequence; that is to"say,- at shorttime intervalsrelatively to one another. 1

According to thepresent invention a picture is projected step byxstep pastaviewingraperture by means ;of one Vormorei-feed pins movingin a closed-path, during part of which the pins are positively driven from aEhandcrank and during 1 part of which by a spring, :the' operating energy of which'is stored "in the spring during said positive drive' period; of U I "The "invention is more particularly described to the accompanying drawing in which:. V

Figure 1 is a'se'ctional elevation of one form of construction of device with thecover open.

-Figure 2 is a corresponding plan view. Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of a further formof construction a In the construction shown in Figures Land-.2,

alstrip l of paper :orrthe' like flexible. material,

rolled upon itself, as shown at '2; is-a'dapted tobe received within the partly circularlreces s in a casing formed by a bent strip ofv metal 3. An

extension '4 on the strip of metalij3 formsa suro face over which the paper 'stripor the like canibe drawn. The paper strip'has pictures 5 disposed thereonwin spaced relationship-and is provided along the edges thereof with perforations :16, into; which saidfipins or claws 'Stare adapted to extend so'that the strip can be fed past a-window aperture-'1 in a cover plate 8. Claws or pins 9 are mounted on a supporting device inthe form of a plate I 9 which is pivotally mounted on'a spindle I I., The spindle is supported between the coiled .endsof a pair 20f spring arms l0,'.the."ends of. which en'gagethe plate I9. zThe opposite 'ends cof the spring arms I0 are secured to the base I2 of the apparatus by' screws l3 or" the like. Other spring'means; as for instance-a leaf spring,"may be employed in place of the spring arms I 0. The plate I9 is provided with open notches or abutments 50 withwhich an offset crank arm 5| :is adaptedto periodically engage; Theorank may be conveniently formed of a strong piece of wire extendingthrough perforations in' the side walls 14, I5--of the apparatus, and ,provided with -a handle It. The notches or 'abutments' '50 open toward the claws 9 andzthus toward thepicture stantially midway between the limits of movement of'the plate IS. The pivotal axis of the crank is located-a slightly lesser distance below the claws 9 thanthe:abutment 50 when the claws are in engagement with the strip. f r

By thisconstruction, it will 'be seen that when the" handle I6 is turned in a clockwise direction, the crank arm 5l willengage the open notches or abutments 50', as shown in'f-ull lines in-Figure 1, and draw down the claws 9 out of engagement with the picture strip. "Further'rotation of the crank in the same direction-shifts the plate-i9 against the action of the coiled ends of the spring arms to the position shown in'dotte'd' lines in Figure 1 wherein the claws 9 are in 'position 'to re-engage thepaper-strip. 'The spring arms tl'll operatesto, force the claws 9 into re-engagenientwith'the paper strip and furtherv rotation of the crank will opp- CE distance ofthenearest=point'on' the arc ofua circle "swept'out: 1by the crank. arm ilxtothe' picturesstrip, so that during this rapid forward movement .of the'claws S norreStraint on'this movement ispresented since the 'cranklarm 5| completely out of engagement with thenotches 5U. ,The'movementof the claws 9' from the position ="shown indotted linesin-Figure 1 to the position shown in fulllines is preferably braked somewhat toward the end of this :-movement by disposing the upper portion 4 of the casing in an arcuate curve -.whicliiis adapted totfrictionally engage the endvof the plate 19 during itsmovement. Leaf springs'l l, -l'8"are".provide'd on the casing so as to afford frictional resistance-to the accidental return 10f the strippand to furtheraffordresistance'totthc accidental-shootingforward of "the strip so as ::to 1: thus :"avoi-d tearing thereof at the perforations.

- IUW'ill'tbG appreciatedthat there is no necessity to reel-:up the paper strip-upon any bobbin since it can berolledupon itself; and slippedielastically into-themecess formed by the cylindricalportion oftheicasing 3.

In thelmodified form .of the invention shown iri- Figure 3, the: claws :32 "which arewadapted to ture strip. A gravity snail cam-of rubber or the like 40 is pivoted to the casing and allows the strip to be moved past the same, but prevents any accidental back feeding of the strip.

Operation of the crank in this form of the invention serves to force the crank arm 36 into engagement with the notch on the lever so as to withdraw the claws from engagement with the, strip and shift the lever rearwardly to a position wherein the springs 38 and 39 cooperate to urge the claws into engagement with the strip and to advance the same in its feeding direction.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the present invention provides an apparatus wherein a crank operates against the action of spring means for disengaging the claws from the picture strip and for retracting the claws to a position for further engagement with the picture strip, and wherein the spring means serve as the sole means for effecting re-engagement of the claws with the picture strip and for advancing the picture strip, the crank having no part in the feeding cycle of the operation.

It is to be clearly understood that minor changes in the detail of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departingfromthe scope 01v the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

We, declare that what we claim is:

-1. A claw feed apparatus for a motion picture strip having perforations, comprising guiding means for the picture strip, claws adapted to engage the perforations in the picture strip for advancing the same, a supporting device for said claws movable between advanced and retracted positions, spring means operating on said supporting device for effecting engagement of said claws with the picture strip and for advancing the supporting device to feed the picture strip, means providing an abutment on said supporting devicefand a crank pivotally mounted substantially midway betweenadvanced and retracted positions of said supporting device and having a crank arm engageable with said abutment when said claws are in engagement with the picture strip at their advanced position for withdrawing said claws from engagement with the picture strip and for shifting said supporting device against the action of said spring means to a retracted position for re-engagement of said claws with the picture strip.

2. A claw feed apparatus for a motion picture strip having perforations, comprising guide means for the picture strip, claws adapted to engage the perforations in the picture strip for advancing the same, a supporting device for said claws movable between the advanced and retracted positions, spring means'operating on said supporting device for effecting engagement of said claws with the picture strip and for advancing said supporting device and the claws carried thereby to feed the picture strip, means providing an abutment on said supporting device, a crank pivotally mounted substantially midway between the advanced and retracted positions of said supporting device and having a crank arm so disposed that a distance between the picture strip and the nearest point on an arc swept out thereby is less than the distance between said abutment and the picture strip, said crank arm being thus engageable with said abutment when said claws are in engagement with the picture strip at their advanced positions for withdrawing said claws from the picture strip and for shifting said supporting device against the action of said spring means to a re-- tracted'position for re-engagement of said claws with the picture strip.

"3. A claw feed apparatus for a motion picture strip having perforations, comprising a casing, guide means for the picture strip, claws adapted to engage the perforations in the picture strip for advancing the same, a supporting device for said claws movable between'advanced and retracted positions, spring means having one end thereof secured to said casing and having the opposite end thereof connected to said supporting device, a pivot for said supporting device carried by an intermediate portion of said spring means, said spring means operating on said supporting device to urge said claws into engagement with the picture strip and to shift said supporting device about its pivot from retracted to advanced positions whereby to feed the picture strip, means providing an abutment on said supporting device, and acrank pivotally mounted substantially midway between advanced and retracted positions of said supporting device and having the pivotal axis thereof disposed between the picture strip and said pivot and slightly above said abutment, said crank having an offset crank arm engageable with said abutment when said claws are in engagement with the picture strip at their advanced position for withdrawing said claws from the picture strip and for shifting said supporting device against the action of said spring means to a retracted position for re-engagement of said claws with the picture strip.

4. A claw feed apparatus for a motion picture strip having perforations, comprising a casing,

I guide means for the picture strip, claws adapted to engage the perforations in the picture strip for advancing the same, asupporting device for said claws, a pivot on which said supporting device 7 is mounted, a pair of springs having one end of each secured to said casing and having an intermediate portion of each coiled around said pivot to support the same, the opposite ends of said springs being connected to said supporting device and operating against said supporting device to shift the same on said pivot from retracted to advanced positions whereby to feed the picture strip, the portions of said springs between said pivot and the casing operating to normally elevate said supporting device to maintain said claws in engagement with the picture strip, means providing a notch onsaid supporting device opening toward said claws and disposed above said pivot, a crank pivotally mounted in said casing and having the pivotal axis thereof disposed above said notch and substantiallyv midway between advanced and retracted positions of said claws, and said crank having an offset crank arm engageable with said notch when said claws are in engagement with the picture strip at their advanced position for withdrawing the claws from the picture strip and for shifting said supporting device against the action of said spring to a retracted position for re-engagement of said claws with the picture strip and for disengagement of said crank arm from said notch. V V

5. A claw feed apparatus for a motion picture guide means for the picture strip, claws adapted to engagethe perforations in the picture strip for advancing the same, a supporting device having a substantiallylvertical arm carrying said claws and movable between advanced and retracted positions, a pivot pin mounted in said casing, said. supporting device having a substantially hori-,

zontal slot through whichsaid pivot pin extends, a spring connected to said casing and having the ,free end thereof bearing against said supporting device between said pivot pin and said arm whereby to normally urge said claws into engagement with the picture strip, a'second spring se-- cured to a portion of said casing and connected to said supporting device on the opposite side of 7 said pivot pin for shifting said supporting device and the claws carried thereby fron'ra retracted I strip, having perforations, comprising a casing,

ture strip.

to an advanced position whereby to feed the picture strip, means providing an abutment. on said supporting device below said claws, and a crank WILLIAM SMITH. v JAMES CHARLES HALL. i JAMES BERNARD BARTO N. 

